Secretly In Love With You
by Sorceress Fantasia
Summary: Yami’s got the biggest crush on his childhood friend, Yugi, for the longest time. However, it just seems that his feelings are not returned. Just when he was feeling depressed, a few notes from a secret admirer starts appearing.
1. Secretly falling

Title: Secretly In Love With You part 1

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: YY/Y, B/R, M/M, past Y/A, J/M, implied S/Y

Warnings: Sap, romance, AU, fluff, OOC, shounen-ai

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Yugi over to me with some really good cards, but Yami came and snatched him back. He took the cards too. So no, I don't own the YGO anime or characters in any way. I don't own the trademarked PS2 and the game Marvel VS Capcom either.

Note: Inspired by the manga 'Full Moon Wo Sagashite'.

* * *

"Hey Yugi!"

A boy blinked when he heard his name being called; his friends weren't supposed to be released from their classes this early. He turned to his side, closing the locker with a gentle push as he did so. Locking it, he tried to stand on his toes and peer over the swarm of students in the corridor and see just who was calling for him.

Finally, he made out the distinct forms of his best friends coming towards him and he waved eagerly.

"Over here, guys!"

It took a couple of shoves and some 'excuse me', but the three eventually made it to where Yugi was waiting for them patiently.

"You guys got off class early today," Yugi commented offhandedly. "Something happened? And do I really want to know?"

The blonde boy grinned widely, his pearly whites almost gleaming under the harsh lighting of the school. With one arm akimbo and the other holding onto his book bag that was slung carelessly over his shoulders, he answered, "Marik blew something up in the chemistry lab."

Yugi winced. Even though Marik wasn't really included in his close circle of friends, they were still talking acquaintances; he never liked it when his friends got in trouble. And to muck up in chemistry class, of all things. For all he knew, the explosion could have been strong enough to save Marik the gel he always used to keep his hair all spiky. Then again, if it had been that powerful, the news would have spread through the entire school like wild fire. Well, not necessarily so, because it was a well-known fact that Marik was a naturally talented troublemaker so there was no surprise there, but the annoyed cries of his boyfriend Malik would surely have made the headlines. He was never afraid to voice his opinions.

Just as he was about to ask more, another of his friend pushed pass the blonde and placed a comforting hand on his shoulders.

"Don't worry about him, Yugi. Marik's fine; whatever he did, there was just a hell lot of smoke and nothing else. Just like all his other pranks." He rolled his eyes at that thought.

Yugi chuckled. "True, I guess. Marik's pranks are nearly always harmless. But you guys are alright, are you? I hope you weren't his lab partner today, Yami," he said in concern, looking up at his friend standing beside him. The lab teacher had an uncanny ability to pair Yami up with the worst partners most of the time.

The other boy shook his head. "I got off lucky today, but I can't say the same for Bakura. Not that he didn't do anything with the chemicals though. In fact, he probably helped Marik with it."

"Definitely. Nothing good ever happens when those two are together, I'd say," the fourth boy commented offhandedly, running a hand through his bangs that seemed to be eternally sharpened to an edge.

The three nodded, all wincing as they recalled some of the pranks Bakura and Marik had pulled together. Oh, they did come up with a couple of really hilarious pranks once in a while, but most of them were just like stirring a hornet's nest. Thankfully, with the appearances of two transfer students Ryou and Malik, who eventually became their boyfriends, the pranks had tamed down somewhat.

"Ah, just forget about them. Why don't we go to the arcade and play the day away? I heard that they have some new games coming in today."

"I can't. Ji-chan has something on in the evening, and he wants me to take care of the shop for him. Why don't you guys go on ahead and tell me about the new games tomorrow? I'd love to hear about them," Yugi suggested with an apologetic smile. Then he turned to the blonde boy. "And Jou? I think it's Mai's shift right now, so you'd better get over quickly if you want to see her."

He grinned when he saw the blush surfacing. Jou had been having a crush on Mai for ages now, but had never quite gotten the guts to ask her out. But with her job at the local arcade, it was so much easier for the blonde boy to talk to her while under the guise of asking for her help. Oh, if only he would just ask her out on a date!

Yami and the other boy smirked, and the latter gave Jou a firm nudge in the shoulders.

"When are you gonna ask Mai out?"

Jou returned the nudge. "Shut up, Honda," he muttered, to which his friend laughed harder. He ignored the laughter and turned back to Yugi. "But Yugi, are you sure? You don't want us to stay with you at your place? You know we don't mind."

At this point, Yami cut in smoothly like a warm knife through butter.

"If Yugi isn't going, then I'm not going either. I'll help out in the store too. You guys go have fun," he said. Turning to his best friend, he gently but firmly took the textbooks from his hands. "Thanks for taking my books for me, Yugi. I'll take them from here. Let's go to your place now."

Yugi nodded happily, glad that someone was going to stay with him. Even though it wasn't exactly fair to keep his friend away from the arcade, he knew that Yami would probably enjoy playing with him in his house anyway. After all, they had done it so many times, more than enough to know just how interesting things could get between the two of them. Besides, they could always grab a game from the store his grandfather owned if they were really that bored.

"Bye guys! See you tomorrow!" He waved at Jou and Honda, as did Yami, and the two turned to walk away.

It was definitely an interesting sight; Yami and Yugi looked so alike that Jou had thought that they were brothers when he first stumbled upon them just five years ago. But Jou soon learned to think otherwise. While Yami was a girl's fantasy boyfriend with his sharp, exotic crimson eyes and regal air, Yugi was the epitome of cuteness and sweetness combined. Whenever the young boy got in trouble (which wasn't often), just a couple of blinks from his innocent amethyst eyes that was coincidentally similar to those of a doe would usually get him out of hot water all too quickly. Girls simply adored him and fawned over him whenever they could.

The two were only alike in appearances, and that was a feat by itself. After all, how many people had the correct genes to have that mob of wild, tri-coloured hair? Golden bangs, and black hair that slowly gave way to a touch of red was definitely not a common thing.

For that reason alone, Jou was mistakenly led to believe Yami and Yugi were brothers back when they had first met. But now that he thought about it, the two were anything but that.

When the two retreating figures were covered from view by the throngs of people in the corridor, Jou turned to Honda with a frown.

"Hey, Honda?"

"What?"

Why the hell aren't Yugi and Yami a couple yet?"

Honda prompted did a double take and stared at his buddy wide-eyed. "What!?"

Jou raised an eyebrow. "Well, they sure look like a couple in every aspect I can think of. I mean, they grew up together, and they're nearly inseparable even to this day. They basically know the other so well they know about each other's likes and dislikes; they always sleepover at the other's place; they get along very well with each other's families, and they are always together!" he exclaimed, ticking off each reason he had with his fingers as he rattled them.

"Now that you mention it, Yugi knows Yami's locker combination... but that's because Yugi gets off from his classes earlier than we do so he can help Yami take his books out. Then again... Yugi seems to know Yami's passwords for his computer accounts too..." Honda added with a light frown marring his features.

"And Yami always walks Yugi home whenever he can, even staying behind to help out in the game shop."

"Yugi cleans up Yami's room when he gets over too..."

"Yami always stands up for Yugi when there are bullies around..."

"And Yugi cooks dinner for Yami sometimes..."

"Not to mention preparing Yami's bentos (1) nearly everyday..."

They fell silent, staring at each other. Despite the utter chaos that was teenagers being released from classes running around them, they could hear none of it. Only one persistent question raced through their minds like a lost puppy finding its way around a highway...

It was a mystery why their friends weren't getting hitched yet.

* * *

Yami brushed a lock of his golden bangs away from his face, and took a step back to survey his work. The small boxes of magnetic checkers were stacked nicely by the side, with an assortment of other games lined up neatly beside. Yup, the shelf was tidy alright.

Proud with his work, the crimson-eyed teen walked away from the shelves. Feeling a little tired already, he took a seat near the counter where Yugi was busy with explaining the rules of duel monsters to a young boy who looked completely enthralled by the shiny booster packs. He chuckled, remembering how excited he had been when Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku ji-san, had taken his first stock of duel monster cards a few years ago. The game had been all the rage then, and even though the fever seemed to have died down a little, it was still one of the hottest games to ever grace the gaming scene. But mostly, Yami remembered the days where he would sit down with Yugi and duel. The way Yugi scrunched up his nose as he thought of his strategies was forever etched into his mind.

He peeked up at his friend.

Even though Yugi was already seventeen, it was hardly reflected in his height and chubby looks. And it always made Yugi frustrated whenever someone would try to pinch his cheeks and exclaim just how cute the 'twelve years old' looked. But Yami secretly reveled in that; Yugi's smaller stature made their bodies mould into each other's perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle, with Yugi's head tucked into his neck. Moreover, the chubbiness merely further accentuated Yugi's cherubic loveliness.

But Yami would never admit that to anybody but himself, least of all Yugi. They had grown up together, played together and went to school together. It was difficult, almost impossible to not fall in love with Yugi not just because they were nearly always together, but also because Yugi had the personality of an angel (or at least what he thought an angel would be like). The amethyst eyes and innocent smile were just bonuses. However, despite all that, Yami found himself unable to work up his courage and confess his feelings to Yugi, lest he was rejected and ruined their years of friendship.

And it seemed like such a huge possibility... After all, the little amethyst-eyed boy did have a girlfriend once, which probably meant that he was straight as an arrow. Even though the relationship hadn't lasted long, Yugi had been almost inseparable with the girl, Anzu, then. They had gotten so close Yami felt he was being ignored by his childhood friend and had nearly wanted to commit murder just to get a few more seconds alone with the object of his affections. But one day, the relationship just seemed to fall apart all on its own and Anzu never did talk with Yugi again. They still said 'hello' when they saw each other in the school, but that was about it. Come to think of it, Yami had no idea why they had broken up so suddenly. He had tried to subtly sound Yugi out, but the latter had been so distracted and seemingly upset at the topic he eventually gave up totally.

Yami sighed. He wanted to be the one to console Yugi! He wanted to be the one to draw the angel into his arms, stroke his dark tresses gently and tell him that everything was going to be alright, that he was going to be with him for eternity.

Looking at the boy who was busy giving someone his change at the counter, he felt his heart clench tightly. Yugi was so beautiful with his big amethyst eyes that sparkled like stars in the night sky and his cherry lips that looked so soft and tempting. Others had always called Yugi cute, but in Yami's eyes, Yugi was more than just cute. He was absolutely ravishing, so much so it almost hurt to know that he would probably never belong to him.

"Yami?"

Said boy jumped a little, his trance broken. Blinking, he finally noticed the one dominating his every waking thought and dreams was looking at him with confusion in his eyes. He didn't even notice when did the boy buying the duel monsters card had left. Yami swallowed hard; Yugi probably had no idea how sensual he looked whenever he was confused, the way he would tilt his head and blink his big violet eyes.

"Yami? Are you alright? You look preoccupied."

"I'm... fine. Just thinking about... something." _Beautiful, Yami; now he'll want to know what exactly was occupying your mind_, a voice inside him remarked snidely.

"Like what?"

Pushing away the irritating little voice that seemed to be saying something along the lines of 'I told you so', Yami answered rather smoothly, "The notes that have been appearing in my locker lately." Great save, if he said so himself. And it wasn't a complete lie, even though it wasn't exactly the truth either.

Realization dawned on Yugi, and he managed a little 'oh'.

Since a few months ago, Yami would find short little anonymous notes stuffed into his locker once in a while. They were handwritten, but no one could identify the writer; even Yugi, the one who tried his hardest to crack the mystery, had to give up after the third note with nary a clue. And it was difficult to tell if the writer was male or female too. But at least one thing was for sure: the person liked Yami. A lot.

That was definitely not difficult to tell. Oh no, not at all, not when the notes were all about encouragement and maybe a tad of affection. While the mysterious person had never said that he or she liked Yami outright, the way the sentences were phrased and strung together and the underlying tone said it all.

"Yugi, you always help me pack my locker and take my books. Are you sure you've never seen who the person is?"

The amethyst-eyed boy shook his head.

"I think this person, whoever it is, knows our schedules really well. I'm really curious though..." he trailed off, scrunching his nose, just the way Yami loved, in deep contemplation. "Just who is it? Who do you think it is, Yami?"

Yami had been so fixated on how positively cute Yugi looked when he was thinking that he nearly missed the question. But he quickly caught himself.

"Well... I've already exhausted the list of potentials a long time ago. I've completely given up. You know it, Yugi. We tried leaving notes for the person in my locker asking to meet up, but he or she never acknowledged it. Maybe this person just wants to be an anonymous admirer or something." He shrugged, seemingly absently, but only he himself knew just how bothered he really was. He had hoped for a long time that Yugi was the one slotting the notes into his locker, but he had long since given up on that fantasy; there was no reason for Yugi to do that at all. They were so close Yugi could always talk to him face to face if he wanted to so there was no need for him to slot anonymous notes. Besides, Yugi had looked as confused as he was when they found the first note. And he was the one who had tried his hardest to find out who the mysterious person was.

But -Yami stole a quick glance at his crush- how he wished Yugi were the one.

"Maybe..." Yugi answered with a little shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, why don't you stay back for dinner tonight? I'm cooking your favourite curry, and we could have some ice cream for dessert."

He smiled contentedly. Even if he and Yugi couldn't be more, they were the best of friends and Yami would never give that up for anything in the world.

"Sure, Yugi. I love your cooking."

Another boy came up to the counter with a board game, and Yugi quickly turned back to his work after throwing his friend a grin. As he did, he missed Yami's heartfelt admission that was never spoken but left hanging in the air.

_Just as I love you._

* * *

Yami sat slumped at his desk in his room. Looking at the blank piece of paper before him that was supposed to his essay, he sighed. If there was one thing he really hated, it was homework. How he wished he could just ignore it, but Yugi would give him one of his infamous cute look if he knew and that was the end of the story; he would sit down and do every darn piece of assignment he had without nary a protest. No one could ever stand up against one of Yugi's looks, and Yami was not immune either, despite knowing the little one for nearly all his life.

He smiled as he recalled how they had met. Sugoroku ji-san had mistaken him for Yugi when he arrived at their kindergarten to pick up his grandson, and had thought that his eyes were red because he had been crying. When he tried to explain that his name was Yami and was definitely not his grandson, little Yugi toddled along happily and jumped into the old man's arms. That was when they finally realized that the little look-alikes were schoolmates, and hence started a lifelong friendship between the two. At first it was just a simple matter of staying together when they were waiting for their respective parents to come fetch them home, but their friendship soon evolved to something that wrapped around them both like a comfortable blanket, and neither was willing to ever let go of it. Sleepovers soon became so common Sugoroku ji-san prepared a second set of everything for Yami, as did Yami's parents for Yugi. Before long, they were planning out their education together, resulting in them always being in the same school and sharing many of their classes.

They met Jou and Honda when they were all thirteen, and they quickly hit it off right away. Activities that were once exclusive to just Yugi and Yami soon incorporated Jou and Honda, and it wasn't long before the four became good friends. Despite that, Yami knew that Yugi would always be his best friend and no one, no one would be able to replace him. Secretly, however, he also knew that he wanted more from their relationship. Ever since they were eleven, Yugi's every smile and action tugged at his lips, and sometimes, stirred up the butterflies in his stomach. The fact that the little angel was very tactile in his affections only made him more aware of how much he liked Yugi in his arms and by his side.

But he had never taken any action towards Yugi until his first wet dream at fifteen, in which he and Yugi went full out and did practically everything in a bed wrapped with silk sheets. He could still remember the seductive, come-hither look in those shimmering eyes, the sultry voice, and the halo of light around Yugi. Beautiful. And the softness of Yugi's ambrosia-like lips was so addictive; he vaguely wondered if the real thing tasted as good.

Unfortunately, just when he'd had enough of dropping subtle hints, and was about to take concrete action, Anzu came into the picture.

Yami sighed. But there was just no way to make Yugi his, was there? Even without Anzu, it didn't change the fact that Yugi was straight and probably thought of him too much of a friend to want to be his boyfriend. And Yugi had an abundance of admirers in school that he could easily handpick from; did he even stand a chance? Probably not.

In the corner of his eye, he peered at the newest note he had gotten from his secret admirer a few days ago. It wasn't anything much; just a simple note that went, 'You look so happy today. I'm glad. Please remember you're not alone.' While it didn't seem like much to others, Yami felt oddly satisfied and cherished. He had been rather down the past few days before getting the note, but he had concealed it well enough that only his close friends noticed. But Jou and Honda had given up getting him to tell them his problems after a few tries, believing that he needed some time to think. Yugi, on the other hand, didn't probe at all. Instead, he prepared Yami's favourite snacks and games and invited him over for a relaxing day. Just like the note, it wasn't much, but it was all he needed to perk up again.

Somehow, he mused, both Yugi and the mysterious person knew exactly what he needed. And only they did. Jou and Honda tried, but their attempts fell short. The others didn't even notice.

Once again, he found himself wishing that Yugi and the mysterious person were one and the same. And on a warm summer day, he would find Yugi waiting for him at his locker, a note in his hand with the usual heartwarming words. Yugi would then smile at him shyly, and admit that he was the person who had been slotting all the notes into his locker all along with a little blush on his face. After the heartrending moment, Yugi would lean in to whisper a kiss on his lips, the first of many to come. Their kisses would taste like luxurious wine, like delectable honey, like... Yugi. Sweet, beautiful, and warm.

Yami grinned, despite the blush on his face.

Oh, how he wished that day would come. And boy would he do his best to make Yugi his. Soon.

* * *

Attempt number one.

Yami sulked in his seat in the cinema. He had only wanted to watch a movie with Yugi alone! Alone! So why the hell was everyone here?

Oh yes, he had just been asking Yugi out for the movie –a horror flick that was a staple for dating couples, he added mentally- when Jou and Honda overheard it. They had gotten so excited about it, and insisted on coming along. And upon hearing it was a horror flick, Jou had 'offhandedly' called Mai on her cell phone and Honda had run through the school looking for Miho, the girl he liked. Then, Miho invited Ryou, her good friend, and once he decided to come, Bakura insisted on accompanying him. Marik followed his fellow troublemaker too, presumably to wreck havoc on the cinema, and so Malik tagged along to make sure he didn't do anything too disastrous.

And so, instead of sharing a nice movie with his crush, Yami was stuck in the damn cinema with eight other people who seemed to have made an occupation out of playing gooseberry. He gritted his teeth when he noticed Marik throwing his popcorn like showers of blessing at the rows of innocent people sitting in front of him and Bakura yelling for more blood in the movie.

He sulked more.

And then he felt a hand grabbing his. Slightly startled, he turned to his side, surprised to see Yugi cringing.

"Yugi?" he whispered.

The amethyst-eyed boy smiled weakly at him. "This movie sure is creepy. I really don't like how the zombies are jumping at the screen."

Yami blinked. In his attempt to woo Yugi with a critically acclaimed movie, he had overlooked the fact that his crush wasn't all that into the supernatural. He slapped himself mentally.

"Do you want to leave? We can go now if you don't like the movie," he suggested, rubbing Yugi's hand gently to comfort him.

"No, the movie's really great! I love it! It's just... I don't like the zombies."

"It's okay, Yugi. I'm here with you. I won't let the zombies get you."

"Thanks, Yami." And he turned back to the movie, cringing when another zombie sprung out.

Yami grabbed his hand tighter instinctively. What was going on? Was his tactic at wooing Yugi working? At least, he was holding his hand...

Just then, Marik cackled insanely when the zombie was decapitated and Bakura cheered. The whole cinema full of people shushed them.

Mission... failed.

* * *

Attempt number two.

Yami grinned at the album in his hands. It was the soundtrack to one of Yugi's favourite computer game when he was younger, and Yugi had been trying for ages to get a copy of it since it was already completely sold out. Yami had gotten lucky when he spied it on a website, and had bought it for a fair sum of money. Boy, was Yugi going to be surprised!

Getting to the lockers where Yugi waited for him every morning, he turned a corner to see his friend already there.

"Morning, Yugi!"

"Morning, Yami!" the smaller boy chirped, almost looking like he had been skipping around.

"Something good happened to you earlier? You look really happy," Yami remarked, feeling the side of his sling bag where he had kept the CD. What better to make Yugi even happier? He smirked mentally.

Yugi nodded excitedly. "Yup! I just met Kaiba-kun earlier, and he gave me something!" At that, he pulled something out of his bag.

Yami's eyes widened. It couldn't be...

"Yup! It's the soundtrack to the game I used to play when we were just kids! He said that Mokuba knew I've been looking for it, so when he chanced upon it online, he bought one copy for me! Isn't he so sweet?"

"Definitely sweet..." Yami grinded through gritted teeth. Kaiba was the billionaire CEO of Kaiba Corporation and at the same time, their classmate. However, the man was seldom in school, and when he did come for lessons, he talked almost exclusively to Yugi alone. Yugi believed that Kaiba was just not the talkative type and it just so happened that he found Yugi bearing some resemblance (Yugi thought it was the height) to his younger brother, Mokuba, so he talked to him. And that was it. Period.

The crimson-eyed boy knew better, and he thought it was a cheesy pick-up line to say that Yugi reminded him of his brother. But at least Yugi didn't fall for it. Not really.

Seriously though, Kaiba possibly having a crush on Yugi was no big deal. Loads of other people adored the little angel. But just why did the jerk have to buy the same damn CD he was planning to give Yugi!?

"Yami? You okay?"

"I'm fine. Really..."

Mission... failed... again...

* * *

Attempt number three. Failed miserably.

Attempt number four. Failed disastrously.

Attempt number five. Failed pathetically.

Attempt number six. Failed prematurely.

Attempt number seven. Failed...

Gods, he was running out of descriptors.

* * *

Yami felt ready to kill the next person who interfered with his plans to woo Yugi. How was it that every thing he planned went awry? And there would always be someone, something to mess everything up?

He sighed.

Heading for his locker, he lamented the fact that he could not even see Yugi in school today because the little one had left early due to his art class. Supposedly, they were to visit the museum for a talk of some sorts. Oh well, he would call Yugi up tonight just to listen to his voice.

Pushing pass the crowd of students, he got to his locker and quickly opened it. He was almost consoled to see a note lying inside. At least someone was still there for him. Then, he pummeled himself for thinking that way. Yugi hadn't abandoned him! He was just in class, for god's sake! What was wrong with him?

_Now class, this man here is showing one of the symptoms of lack of contact with Yugi: depressive thoughts! The way he's frowning implies that he misses Yugi very much and the crook in his lethargic smile means..._

Yami shoved the annoying voice in his head away. Instead, he unfolded the slip of paper.

'I hope you'll cheer up soon. You look good when you smile. And remember: everything will be alright in the end. If it isn't alright now, that means its not over yet. I'm always with you, no matter what happens.'

Unable to stop the grin on his face from taking over, he folded the paper back carefully and slid it into his wallet. He had no idea who was this wonderful person who always made him feel better with a simple message, but he was grateful.

-tbc-

(1): A bento is a lunch box, basically.

A/N: I'm terribly sorry my readers for not posting any fics in a long time, but RL has not been particularly kind to me these past few months. I should be able to write more soon, but I really cannot guarantee anything.


	2. In love with you

Title: Secretly In Love With You part 2

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: YY/Y, B/R, M/M, past Y/A, J/M, implied S/Y

Warnings: Sap, romance, AU, fluff, OOC, shounen-ai

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Yugi over to me with some really good cards, but Yami came and snatched him back. He took the cards too. So no, I don't own the YGO anime or characters in any way.

Note: Inspired by the manga 'Full Moon Wo Sagashite'.

* * *

Adjusting the strap of his bag, Yugi hurried along to his best friend's apartment. It was a wonderful Saturday, and he was going to spend it with Yami. Recently, he had been rather bogged down with school work and tending his grandfather's games store that he hardly had any time for Yami, and he could only guess how frustrated his friend was with his lack of attention. As it was, he could only spend two hours with him today before having to rush off for a school project with his classmates.

Even though they had many classes together, art was not one of them. Yami was horrible at art; his best drawing to date consisted of a stick figure. Yugi chuckled as he remembered how the arts teacher had commented dryly that that was the only thing that looked remotely like a person under Yami's paintbrush; Yami had promptly dropped out of that class after that.

And that was why they had slightly different schedules in high school, and also why he had a project Yami didn't have to do. It was a pity, really; art was a highly interesting subject that gave him an avenue for expression.

When Yami's apartment block came within view, he walked faster, hoping to spend more time with his friend. It wasn't long before he reached the door and pressed the buzzer. Yugi grinned when he heard a flurry of activities inside; in his attempt to get the door, Yami had probably knocked down a thing or two. Like he always did.

Some things just never changed.

The door flew open, and a slightly disheveled Yami laughed nervously.

"Hi, Yugi!"

"Did you break something again?"

"Heh... nothing much. Just tripped over a couple of books."

Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"And I nearly fell over a chair."

Letting out a laugh he had been suppressing, Yugi entered the apartment. It was almost strange how Yami always managed to make him smile at the smallest things like no one else could. Looking at the place that much resembled a war zone, his smile turned teasing. Waving a hand at the mess, he said in mock anger, "Yami!"

Yami gave a shrug of his shoulders, laughing sheepishly.

"Well, you know my dad and mum went abroad..."

Shaking his head, Yugi placed his bag on Yami's sofa and bent down to pick up the things on the floor. Yami, seeing this, decided it was time to clean up lest Yugi tripped on anything like he did earlier. Between the two of them, the room was a lot neater in a matter of minutes. And half an hour later, the apartment was as neat as it was going to get.

"Hey Yugi, I'll set up my playstation. You go pour yourself a water or something," Yami said, and went into his room.

When Yugi entered the room later with two glasses of orange juice, the computer was already up and ready for them. Setting down the water on Yami's desk, he hopped onto a beanbag in front of the television and picked up a controller. The last time he had been here, Yami had thrashed him on Marvel VS Capcom. It was time for some revenge.

Peering at Yami who was just beside him, he pressed the 'start' button.

"Ready to feel some pain, Yami?"

His friend threw him an arrogant smirk. "If you are ready, then I am too. Let's start this game!"

* * *

Two hours later, Yugi was scrambling out of Yami's apartment.

"Oh god! I almost forgot about my project! Now I'm going to be really late!" he yelped as he threw his things into his bag hastily.

"Calm down, Yugi!" Yami tried. "Your project mates will wait for you!"

But Yugi was too far into his packing frenzy to really register Yami's comment. Earlier in their games, he had emptied the contents of his bag, fishing out game after game taken from his grandfather's shop, and now, he was having problems remembering where he had last seen them. Still, it wasn't too bad; if he left anything behind, he could always get it back from Yami later. They were meeting again tomorrow for dinner at his place anyway.

Zipping up his bag, he tossed it over his shoulders.

"Okay Yami, I have to go! See you tomorrow!" And he dashed off so quickly Yami was amazed he hadn't tripped and fell yet, with the haste he had tied his shoelaces.

Closing the door, he sighed. Alone again. Lately, Yugi had been so busy they hardly had time together. If only he was better at art, he would have continued that class. Then he could have done this dumb project with Yugi. Even if it was project, spending time with Yugi was better than not spending any at all.

Suddenly, he spied something lying on his sofa. Walking over, he picked it up. He frowned when he noticed it was Yugi's leather-bound organizer, the one he had gotten him for his birthday three years ago. It looked surprising new even though Yugi had been using it for such a long time. That was the way the little angel did things, Yami thought with a smile. Always keeping his things clean.

Looking at it, Yami considered if he should run after Yugi now to return it. But from the way Yugi had dashed off, he was probably already on a bus and far away from his place. Never mind; he'd return it tomorrow.

Unbuttoning the organizer, he flipped through the pages. Oh good, Yugi's schedule was going to free up soon. Feeling playful, Yami decided to fill in his name for the whole of next week, hoping that Yugi would get the hint. He grinned, and flipped to the first page, where a pen should be as with most organizers. However, the only thing that was present was an empty pen cap. Yugi had probably dropped the pen somewhere. Sighing at the little one's carelessness, he reached over to his pencil case for a pencil and quickly filled in his name. When he was done, he turned to the last page and was pleasantly surprised to see a picture of stick figure, the one he had drawn for his last art class months ago. Yugi had kept it? Yami remembered throwing it into the nearest waste paper basket after the class, but Yugi had picked it up and saved it? That was a surprise, but not the biggest one. Tucked neatly into a plastic covering, just one page before the drawing was a photo of himself and Yugi together. And it wasn't just any photo; it was THE photo. The one Jou had taken for them nearly a year ago.

Back then, when the class was to present a parody on 'Cinderella', everyone had voted unanimously for Yugi to take the female lead. Apparently, everyone thought that a male Cinderella would be hilarious, not to mention the fact that Yugi had the good features to carry off the role. And with him as the female lead (well actually, they had changed the script to make Cinderella a boy), Jou and Honda had nominated Yami to take the male lead rather... enthusiastically.

It was a whole month of utter bliss for Yami then, to be able to seduce Yugi openly, and he secretly thanked the scriptwriter for making the scenes between them flirty and yet in good humour. Yugi had responded in a sultry manner, just the way his role demanded of him, surprising everyone with how much a sensual siren he could be.

By the end of the skit, Yami had fallen in love all over again.

Jou had bounced onto the backstage with his camera after the show, and with a bit of pleading, he managed to get a shot of Yami and Yugi together, still in their respective costumes. And if that wasn't enough, he persuaded them to pretend to be intimate. Five minutes later, Jou had the photo he wanted: the peasant-turned-prince Yugi and Prince Yami in an embrace, with Yugi's head leaning on Yami's broad chest.

The blonde boy had teased them relentlessly after snapping the shot, much to Yugi's embarrassment and Yami's blissful rapture.

But after that, Yami had plain forgotten about this photo, what with his elation of flirting with Yugi onstage and wrapping up the small production. But apparently, Yugi had remembered and even managed to get a copy from Jou.

It was good. He loved the way Yugi's face was lit up by a light blush and the way he was smiling. The angel looked absolutely ravishing indeed. And for once, Yami was thankful to Jou's playfulness. He had no idea he and Yugi looked this good together. If he didn't know any better, he would think the two in the photo were a couple of many years.

And Yugi had this photo in his organizer, not to mention his stick figure drawing... did he have a chance with Yugi after all?

* * *

Yugi was completely puzzled when Yami had called him in the early afternoon, telling him to come over to his place for dinner instead. And he even told Yugi not to bring any food over; he would call for a pizza and they could eat their dinner while watching a rented movie. That was definitely strange. He could hardly remember any occasion when Yami had told him not to cook because he loved his cooking, and he had told him as much. But Yami had refused to give him any reason, instead telling him to come at seven o' clock sharp.

He peered down at his watch. Just on time. Pressing the buzzer, he heard Yami's voice saying, "Coming!"

When he didn't hear anything falling down and getting knocked over, Yugi frowned. Was something going on tonight that he had no idea about? Something was definitely off...

The door opened gently, and there was Yami, dressed in a leather ensemble that looked as though the boy was about to go clubbing. It was not difficult to tell that the apartment was in near total darkness from the way the light from the corridor seemed to be flooding in. Only the orange lights at the short corridor leading to the living room had been switched on. And yet, he could faintly make out a wavering light casting a dark shadow emanating from the living room as well.

Yugi blinked.

"Yami? Why are you dressed like that? And the lights?"

Said boy winked. "You'll see. Come on in." And he stepped aside, allowing entrance.

Still frowning and biting his lip, Yugi entered the apartment. He was about to head for the living room when Yami grabbed his hand.

"I've got something to show you." Yami's voice had a much slicker quality to it than ever, and his tone smooth and even a little husky. Yugi shivered at the sheer intensity of the gaze that was directed towards him: it was warm and calm, just the way Yami always looked at him, but tonight, something else was in there as well. Something that reminded Yugi of seduction and even lust.

Even though he was a little uncomfortable, he let himself be led into the living room. He felt his jaws slacken when he saw what Yami had done to it.

Lines of white candles adorned the room, creating a cocoon of warmth that permeated his body. The halo of light from the flickering candles added on to the heavenly atmosphere that felt too good to be true. It was beautiful.

"Yami? What...?"

But his question was stopped short when Yami placed a finger on his lips.

"The beauty of this place is only matched by you, my angel."

Yugi gasped. He remembered that line! It was one of the lines the Prince said to him back in the class play they did a year ago! Yami had been the prince looking for his bride at a ball then, and he was Cinderella, the young boy who had been bullied by his stepmother and stepsisters.

His character had been ushered into the palace when a young, inexperienced fairy mistook him for her newest client and promptly gave him a suit and a carriage. Only thing, the fairy was supposed to help Snow White by giving her an apple so the silly princess wouldn't eat the poisoned apple instead, so she gave Yugi an apple to take to the palace. However, being the inexperienced fairy that she was, she managed to give him a poisoned apple, which Prince Yami quickly took a bite off when he met Yugi. But he wasn't the Prince and neither was he Snow White, so Yugi did not choose to remove the apple from Yami's throat the conventional way by kissing. Instead, he chose to pound on the prince's chest and made him heave it out. When he succeeded, Yugi quickly ran off with the half-eaten apple, afraid of being accused of injuring a royalty. Little did he know that the prince had fallen in love with him when he saved him. And so, the prince took it upon himself to look for the little angel with the piece of apple he had heaved out, hoping to find the other half of the apple. When he finally found him, he had lit up the place with beautiful lights, creating the dreamy effect of a fairy tale.

He had no idea Yami still remembered the lines...

"The last time, you ran away from me. Now that I have proof you are my angel, I won't let you get away," Yami continued, bending down slightly to pick something up from the table in the room.

When Yugi's eyes fell upon the object, he exclaimed, "My organizer! I dropped it here? ...Yami?" he whispered his confusion when the crimson-eyed teen opened the book.

But Yami did not answer. Instead, he fished around in his pocket for something else. When he felt it in his hand, he smiled. Digging it out, he laid it on his palm for Yugi to see. It was a white pen, one that had no cap.

"I found this pen in my locker just a few days ago, along with a note that told me I wasn't alone. I guess... the mysterious person who has been dropping the notes into my locker dropped this pen inside on that day too."

With little effort, the pen fit perfectly into the once empty pen cap that was in Yugi's organizer with a little 'click', much like the shoe slipping onto Cinderella's petite foot seamlessly.

"I have found you, my angel, after so many days of searching."

Yugi stared at him in surprise, his breath caught in his throat.

Shaking off his Princely façade, Yami spoke, "Yugi, you are the one who has been writing me all those notes, aren't you? The notes that are so encouraging, so warm, so loving... They gave me hope when I was at my worst. They cheered me up whenever I saw one of them in my locker. The person who wrote the notes loves me. Please tell me, Yugi. Are you the one?"

The amethyst-eyed boy hesitated. But eventually, he nodded, looking down. "Yeah, it's me," he admitted, his voice resigned and posture slack.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Yami whispered, afraid that if he were to speak too loud, he would wake up and find himself alone in bed again.

"Because... because I didn't know how," Yugi admitted. "When I first dated Anzu, you seemed to just... wilt away. You looked so depressed, and I didn't understand why. I tried to ask you, but you wouldn't tell me. So I thought... maybe you'd respond better to a written note. But I wanted to stay anonymous so you wouldn't guess it's me; otherwise, you'd clam up again and not tell me anything. So I faked my handwriting and begun leaving those notes into your locker. It was easy, since I know your locker combination, and you'd probably think I had slotted it in through the openings on top.

"Soon, it just became a habit so I didn't stop. That day I was rushing for the trip to the museum, so I chose to slot my note inside rather than opening the locker. But someone pushed me accidentally and my pen went in too. My classmate from art dragged me off before I could take the pen back, and when I tried looking for it the next day, it was already gone, along with the note."

He fell silent after his confession, looking at the ground, at the side, anywhere... anywhere but Yami's face. Why had he written such notes? Why didn't he stop? It wasn't a habit, not at all. So why didn't he stop writing it? All of a sudden, Yugi couldn't stand the deafening silence any longer and decided to make a break for it. He didn't want to talk about the issue anymore, he didn't want to face his best friend any longer. With a sudden burst of energy, he tried to push past Yami, but Yami caught his wrists easily.

"Yugi, don't go. You promised that you'd always be with me; you wrote that in your notes, didn't you?"

"But I..."

Yami lifted Yugi's face with his forefinger and thumb gently but firmly. Staring into the amethyst eyes he adored so much, he whispered, "I love you, my angel. Don't ever leave me."

Yugi thought he had heard wrong.

"What...? What did you just say?" _Please god, don't let it be a dream..._

"I love you, Yugi. I've loved you since we were eleven, and I love you now, as I will continue loving you in the future, no matter what you do or say," Yami replied sincerely, trying to pour all his love into his voice, his eyes, his touch. "Yugi, you were the one who said that the person who wrote the notes loves me. Now tell me, is it true?"

Yugi felt his heart weep at the confession. But it wasn't tears of sadness. Instead, they were floods of elation that lifted his entire being into the heavens, giving his spirit a pair of wings and made him soar. Yes, he had not continued writing those notes out of habit. He wanted to write to Yami, he needed to write to him, to let him know how he felt and what he didn't dare say out loud. The fear of rejection weighed so heavily in his mind like a ton of metal bricks. But now, the last of his fears faded away like a shower of sakura blossoms in the wind with his secret love's soothing voice.

"Yes, it's true. It has always been true. I love you, Yami. I love you so much I can't imagine life without you. But I thought you would never want me because you could have anyone you wanted. That's why when Anzu asked me out, I accepted. I fooled myself into believing I could forget you and remain as your friend, I fooled myself into thinking that I could fall in love with another and that things would never between us. But I was wrong. I was so wrong.

"Anzu noticed it first. She said that I was always distracted, like my mind was never with her even my body was. Our relationship was never built on a solid foundation, and it just... cracked after that. It was like a spider web of cracks that spiraled out of control so quickly, so suddenly. I tried to spend more time with her, I tried to tell myself that I was her boyfriend and so I should pay more attention to her, but I just couldn't. It... didn't work.

"After we broke up, I finally understood. I could never work out a relationship with someone else, because I love you too much to want to be with another. There can only be you in my life," he murmured, tears welling up in his eyes.

Leaning in, Yami kissed those tears away, smiling when a faint blush crept up Yugi's face like a morning glory wrapping itself around a fence. It was shy, gentle, and most of all, charming.

"Don't cry, my angel. Now that I've found you, my Cinderella, I won't ever let you go. Ever."

A smile broke forth on Yugi's face, despite the tears that were still cascading down his cheeks like pearls from a broken necklace.

Yami's breath caught in his throat, and he could almost hear the rush of blood through his veins. It was an enchanting rhythm, one that gave rise to a sudden headiness. The giddiness conquered his mind, and before he knew it, he was closing his eyes and leaning in.

Yugi unconsciously did the same.

Their lips met in a firework of ecstasy and pure bliss, firing up a blaze of colours behind their eyes and setting their bodies on fire. There was no luxurious wine, no sweet honey, no nothing. There was just... Yami and Yugi. Their arms pulled at the other tightly, as though hoping to mould their bodies together and merge into just one being. They could feel the warmth of the other's body, the passion in the other's touch, and the softness in the other's kiss. The candles were still flickering, casting a halo upon their bodies that made them seem to exude a heavenly glow.

Slowly, they parted, lips still inches away from the other's.

They smiled, each reveling in the blush that had appeared on the other's face.

Cinderella had finally been found, and this time, she didn't have to run away again.

* * *

After a candlelight dinner that Yami had so meticulously prepared by calling a nearby restaurant, the new couple snuggled against each other in the living room. The white candles had long since been blown out.

"Yami?"

"Yes, love?"

Yugi giggled uncontrollably at the pet name.

"What were the candles in the living room for? Is there any significance, apart from a throwback to the play?"

"Well, I thought it would be the perfect mood setter. And besides, it's one candle for every year we've known each other. You do remember that today is the day we met, all those years ago, don't you?"

"Of course I do. That's why I asked you over for dinner. I was going to whip up a gourmet meal. But well, just as well I didn't. I prefer the one we had tonight," he cooed, snuggling closer.

Yami smiled, wrapping his arms around Yugi tighter.

"Happy anniversary, love."

"Happy anniversary, Yami."

And they kissed again.

* * *

Jou and Honda blinked.

"Hey, Honda?"

"What?"

"Did I miss something?"

"If you did, then I think I did too..."

Yami and Yugi walked towards them, both chirping a happy 'good morning'. That wasn't strange, not at all, unless one recalled that Yami never chirped. But what was really strange was the way they were together. Holding hands was nothing too strange, since good friends did it all the time. But both Jou and Honda noticed the possessive grip Yami had on Yugi's hands, and when they stood before them, the two were leaning into each other. Yami released Yugi's hand at that moment, but instead of opening his locker, his hand slipped around Yugi's slim waist and pulled him closer. The other's reaction was to simply giggle.

Suddenly, things became clearer.

"Did you two...?" Jou trailed off.

"Our 'once upon a time' has finally found its 'happily ever after'. That's what happened," Yami answered with a smirk that seemed more genuine than it had in a long time.

Yugi's smile widened, as did Honda and Jou's eyes.

"Well, we've got to go for our classes now, so continue to enjoy gawking at us."

With that, Yami and Yugi left.

For a while, they were silent. But eventually, Honda spoke.

"Finally!"

Jou nodded.

"Really finally!" he exclaimed with a grin. "I knew that making Yami the prince and Yugi Cinderella would do them some good!"

"Yeah."

"Maybe we should celebrate it! With some pizza and games at Yami's place!"

"Yeah, maybe we should. But before that, remember that you owe me ten bucks, Jou! I told you they would hook up within the next three months!"

Jou frowned. "No, you never said that! We never made that bet!"

"Yes, we did! You were just too busy ogling Mai to remember!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

"No, I wasn't!"

Soon, a crowd gathered around them.

* * *

A distance away, a pouting Yugi pressed a ten-dollar bill into his boyfriend's hand.

"See? I told you they would announce our relationship to the whole school one way or another," Yami said.

"I thought they would be a little more discrete..."

"Love, discrete is not in their dictionary."

"I guess so..."

"Let's go to the new ice cream parlor after school. My treat, since I have this new, crisp ten-dollar bill now..."

"I'm gonna eat you out of house..."

"Go ahead and try."

"Is that another bet?"

Smirk. "Maybe?"

"I get a kiss if I manage to."

Yami leaned in and captured his boyfriend's lips in a chaste kiss.

"I'll still kiss you even if you don't manage to. I want to kiss you everyday."

Yugi smiled.

"I'd love that."

-owari-

Sorceress Fantasia 27th October 2004


End file.
